It didn’t clear forests - The mayor of Mudurnu, Mehmet Inegol, said that the construction complies with all regulations, adding that not a single tree was cut for development. Other critics still worry about the impact on nature.

Buyers were hit hard - Because of the fraught state of the nation’s economy and the declining oil prices, buyers began backing out of their purchase and many were unable to come up with the money for payments.

Political turmoil - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's immense spending on infrastructure projects, which required heavy loans from foreign banks, has been criticized for its role in the country’s massive foreign debts. As the value of the lira fell, foreign investors began to pull out of the projects, and the construction industry was hit hard.

Social impact - While Turkey had previously started to become a hot travel spot, the tourism sector also suffered big losses in 2016 due to a series of bombings, diplomatic tension with Russia, and a failed coup attempt.

The problem isn't unique to Turkey - Around the world cities and projects have been facing the same hardships, resulting in many abandoned properties and half-finished luxury destinations, but none perhaps as eerie looking as this.

There are solutions underway - The Turkish government has reportedly promised to build more transport links to the region, including a high-speed rail line between Istanbul and Ankara, with the aim of increasing interest in the northwestern region.

The twisted tale behind Turkey's deserted community of castles

A haunting abandoned kingdom

Calling all aspiring kings, queens, princes, and princesses: your castle awaits! If you have half a million dollars and a lot of optimism, that is.

In Turkey’s northwestern region lies a neighborhood of Disney-like miniature castles, fitted with steeples, grand balconies, multiple stories, and absolutely zero people. Laid out like a suburb, this dystopian kingdom of none nestled between dark forests has a deeply eerie feel to it.

But it started out with lavish hopes and grand dreams.

The Yerdelen brothers, construction entrepreneurs from Istanbul, were equipped with Turkey’s real estate boom when they started drawing up plans for what looks like a full-size Legoland display. They aimed high, pitching 700 castles, and felt confident in the natural draws of the lush land and Mediterranean climate.

Imagined as a luxury community, they aimed to attract wealthy Arabs from the Gulf countries, even naming the development the Burj al-Babas Thermal Tourism Company to boost their appeal.

They broke ground in 2014, employing 2,500 workers and progressing quickly, with the goal of completing the project in just four years. Along the way, however, they were hit with various economic and political obstacles that ground this multimillion-dollar project to a halt.

The chateaux-like villas now stand abandoned and unfinished, in what is quite the opposite of a fairy tale for their developers and investors.

Check out the gallery to see some impressive photos of the haunting buildings, and learn more about what lies in store for the strange, self-contained suburb of empty dream homes.